Abnormal
by Noc007
Summary: With the belief of not being sorted into Slytherin, Xadia Lestrange had taken the first step of separating herself from her parents beliefs and the stigma that went along with being the daughter to mass murdering Death Eaters. Unbeknownst to her, she'll slowly become what she most dreaded - after all, an apple doesn't fall far from the tree no matter how far it tries to leave.
1. Prologue

_**Note:**_

**ABNORMAL, adj.**  
Not conforming to standards in matters of thought and conduct. To be independent is to be abnormal, to be abnormal is to be detested.  
― Ambrose Bierce, _ The Devil's Dictionary and Other Works_

While this story has been rated as a "T" I will occasionally be touching the "M" rating. Mostly due to the dark themes that will arise and for certain situations as well. For new readers, I'm a big fan of realistic situations and that'll be shown throughout this story.

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**I.  
****Prologue**

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A strong thunder rattled the bedroom window panes, the thunderous sound strong enough to reverberate through the full-length mirror that stood before me. On the other side of the bedroom windows, a strong gust of wind picked up, seeming to accompany what appeared to be an encroaching storm. With the change of the natural weather, the sunlight that once filled the bedroom and greeted me in the morning slowly disappeared. It was only a quarter past three of the afternoon according to the clock that claimed the space above the bedroom doorway – far too early for the sun to even set.

A storm was approaching.

Standing as straight as I could with my legs fifteen inches apart and with the sole of my feet planted firmly on the floor, I slowly bent my waist forward; with my waist giving no resistance as when I first started these exercises, I focused on the muscle pull behind my upper thighs. One would think I was merely stretching them out but that assumption would be far from the truth. It was, as I held my position, that I felt the dull throbbing behind my kneecaps – the signal that my knees wanted to go with the natural force and buckle as they normally should but I kept firm. It was not the muscles I was concerned with, but the bones that held the ligaments together. After all, by pushing myself to do these routine stretches and exercises, it helped my recuperating from the 'accident' of two months ago – something that should have taken months considering the severity of it.

As always, I was both pleased by how quick my recuperation was. Even Bellatrix, I'd dare say, was amazed but not by my health I'm sure of that but of my perseverance. Which I will admit I was pleased to know coming from her but still enough to be miffed by – she should know of my potential despite how I started about.

I suppose I should be content that her expectations about me were slowly changing. It was just a matter of time before I cinched her admiration with a fantastic feat and make her proud of the daughter she had despite the "handicaps" I was born with.

Not to toot my own horn but being born as a healthy newborn was not enough for her. It would only be a couple of years later that my "handicaps" would be most apparent; naturally, it wouldn't had been noticed for the first couple of years of my life because there was none. It would only be after _she _appeared that they suddenly surfaced because she stated it so.

Better yet, that's when _she _suddenly appeared.

"My dear mother," I muttered sarcastically under my breath as I pushed forward only to suddenly stand up straight with a sharp gasp. With one hand instinctively going to my lower abdomen, the other shot out to grasp the wooden edge of the mirror – of course, I mused to myself sardonically, bones were one thing and muscles another.

Letting out a slow hiss as the wave of pain dissipated, I moved myself ever-so-slowly to a more relaxing position. No longer holding myself rigidly as before, I allowed my hands to settle themselves against my hips.

Despite the occasional sharp pains that would flared up when I focused on these exercises, it sure as hell beat the alternative of being bedridden for a month or possibly more. While the medicing was similar to Skele-Gro, it still depended on the speed of the individual who consumed the nasty liquid to recuperate. So it went without saying that I was more than just eager to return to my normal physical self. Granted, my "accident" had kept me from completing my sixth year at Hogwarts but that is not to say I flunked out of school. I managed to take those dreaded exams at a much later date and still received high marks; naturally, that made me a shoo-in for my seventh year at Hogwarts.

Surprisingly, that was the least of importance to me considering the situation I was in – well, I should say for everyone because we were all living in interesting times and lucky me, I so happened to be on the second row to witness everything.

Despite the cautionary tale from my Healer to not push myself if I felt any kind of pain while doing my stretches, I repositioned my legs as they once were when a strong thunder shook the very mirror that stood before me. Well, that explained everything I mused to myself as I turned my attention to the two full-length bedroom windows.

The storm had arrived.

As I was about to return to my stretches that I was interrupted from for the second time, I heard what I thought to be voices from afar. Curiously, I decided to take a look to see if I spotted anyone familiar walking up the path to the manor. Considering these last couple of days had resulted a slew of visitors stopping by -some unwelcomed-, I wanted to see if there was anyone recognizable. Standing behind the sheer curtains of one of the two full-length windows, I pushed aside the sheer material and gazed down the path. Luckily, my bedroom was located right above the entrance into the Malfoy Manor so I had a clear view of those arriving and leaving.

I was proven right about the voices when I saw three dark figures flanking two others, but it was the one that leading them that caught my attention. Still within shadows, I could tell this person was holding a captive. As they neared the front gate that held a light post that illuminated the pathway, this person was instantly brought into light and I recognized him as Scabior, a well-known Snatcher alongside Fenrir Greyback. As their titled implied, they were assigned to round up those "undesirable", specifically muggle borns and blood-traitors. But why were they bringing their captives here when they should be taking them to the Ministry? As if to answer my question, the other two snatchers ushered their captives into the light and that's all I needed to recognize who those two were.

Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Long gone was my interest for my daily stretches as my eyes widen at the sight of those two. For months they had been wanted for their connection with Harry Potter who was last seen in the city of London; those three had been fugitives since July. Now here they were... minus Harry himself.

Two out of three, not bad.

I then noticed a dark shadow approaching the front gates and once the figure was within the light, I recognized it as it belonged to that of my mother, Bellatrix. Too far to hear their conversation, I noticed how Scabior pushed his captive into the gate.

From the distance –before he even pushed his captive against the gate– , I wasn't able to recognized him; the way Scabior held him as they neared the entrance and how he pushed him to the gate for Bellatrix to see closely, it dawned on me that he was no mere catch... but something more.

It couldn't be Harry Potter himself, right?

"No way," I muttered to myself as I pressed my face against the window to get a better view but all I could see was the back view of Bellatrix. "Shit."

It only made sense since Ron and Hermione were there... right?

Time – for that brief moment – ceased to exist for me until I noticed Bellatrix stepped back so as to allow the gates to open, allowing the Snatchers and their captives to move forward. At that precise moment, she looked up at my direction and for the briefest second our dark eyes locked with one another. Despite not growing up with her and much less share a mother-daughter bond, I knew without a doubt she wanted me downstairs.

Those eyes of hers were ever so expressive.

As I turned away from the window and headed for the door, I could already hear the commotion downstairs.

Things were going to get mighty interesting around here.

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**Note:**  
It has been some time since I last written a new Harry Potter FF, so I'm quite pleased to start writing for this fandom again!

That said - the upcoming chapters after this prologue will consist about her life up to this point. Whatever confusion you might have concerning this prologue will naturally be explained as the story progresses.


	2. I: Family

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**I****.  
****Family**

_"The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces.  
They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder."_

_― Jim Morrison_

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Before I was even born, my name had already been chosen.

In fact, as a precaution, there was a name for each gender seeing as there was no way to know whether my mother carried a son or daughter. The names weren't picked based on their elegance or because it happened to be a favorite or honored a family member. They were chosen based on the meaning of the name as it was the belief by my parents that would shape up their child's character and/or personality. So once they found out they had a daughter, they relied in one of two names to brand me for life.

Xadia.

It meant "Distinguished Leader", not a bad description of a well-made child, was it? Considering from whom I was born, it was a fitting name. It was the pronunciation that was the clincher. Despite having the "X" as the first letter, it was fairly easy to pronounce once you saw it as "exSay-diah". Of course, as a young child I was mostly referred as "Sadie" by my cousin Draco, whom for the first five years of my life I had thought was my brother.

Made sense, really.

Naturally, I don't remember anything while I was an infant and much less a toddler but there were the pictures and the stories from my sweet Mama, as I had once lovingly called my aunt Narcissa at that age. Draco was only a month and five days older than I was, we were practically fraternal twins in that sense; naturally, neither one of us found it strange that we were growing alongside one another and Narcissa made sure not to make it so. I was her daughter and not the niece that I really was. Whatever we did as a family, I was there; wherever Draco went that benefited a young child, I was also there. Of course there were instances where my gender played a role and I couldn't do what other boys did. Naturally at that age, I wasn't aware of the obvious differences between myself and the family I grew up with, after all – I thought myself as Xadia Malfoy. That's how I came to identify myself whenever we had play dates with the other children – I was Draco's sister and that was that.

It was during one of these play dates that my identity had been rudely pointed out. While I can't recall which kid it had been that pointed out the obvious difference between myself and my family, it was Narcissa who retold the story for me.

"_You're not Draco's sister because you have dark boring hair. Did your mummy and daddy throw you out and that's why you live here?"_

Whether I was really a naïve child and hadn't seen these obvious differences or just your typical child of that age, it was enough for me to go to my Aunt and question her of what I was told. Considering my young age, I wasn't necessarily given the whole truth; did learn the basics which had been – from what I was told – enough to settle my quavering feelings and feel normal again. It was also likely through this incident that she had taken the opportunity to tell Draco of who I really was – not a sister but a cousin. How I knew of this? His relationship with me hadn't changed – he still considered me a sister and a friend. That's all that mattered to me.

For the next six years of my life, I had grown up with the knowledge that while I wasn't directly related to the Malfoy family, I was still very much treated as a daughter and sister. Granted, Lucius wasn't your typical, joyful and loving uncle and I never expected that from him. I seen how he treated his own son, how could I expect him to treat me differently? That is not to say that he was completely devoid of feelings, he was just... Lucius. My Aunt, on the other hand was completely the opposite – always so attentive and patient with us, not to mention the care and love she showered on us both.

As for Draco...

Whether it was due to us being raised together and treated equally or he really appreciated having me around, I wouldn't really know nor did I care to know at that time. We were each others playmate, we helped one another when the other was in trouble – but most importantly we were there for one another. Despite us being so close in age, he at times acted as an older brother. Because of this or perhaps due to him being a boy, he acted a bit differently around the other kids our age. I didn't see anything wrong about his attitude or his way of speaking, because most of the time I shared the same feelings. While we did have the same upbringing and lived under the same roof, our personalities were a bit different – or should I say, evident?

He was confident, self-assured and willing to share his recent acquirement such as a new toy or a galleon he would had found somewhere – most importantly, he wasn't shy of sharing his feelings and opinions. I, on the other hand, was quite the opposite when it came to such matters – mostly whenever we were around other people. I wouldn't flat out and say how I despised muggle-borns but if I were to had been asked, I would had said the same thing just like everyone else. It was expected of me, so I did it. He was the most outgoing one out of the two of us while I was seen as the quiet one, perhaps even timid. Shy? Not exactly, but as I said – I wasn't too keen in sharing my opinions in public. Mostly because they would had contradicted Draco or because I thought differently.

This is not to say that I kept my opinions to myself whenever I was alone with my friends or Draco. Even so, most of _those_ times ended along the lines of _"Oh, my sweet Sadie. You're such a silly girl."_I came to understand that standing out differently was not the best way to go and because of this, I knew when to speak and when to shut-up and avoid trouble.

So while there were qualities about Draco that I admired, there were other times where I pondered his loyalty to our close relationship.

Such as the time before we received our Hogwarts letter.

We were having a conversation about Hogwarts seeing as it was only a month away and while none of us had received a letter yet, we were excited at the prospect of it arriving with the morning mail. It was my error when I joked that perhaps I was a Squib and wouldn't receive one. Instead of joking back or saying something on the contrary, he simply stated that no family of his was going to be a Squib. With the way he said it, I knew he wasn't joking. Not wanting for him to have the last word, I quickly retorted with something along the lines of _"nice to know how much you love me."_ As was his manner, he simply smirked at my response.

Whether it was due to my love for reading – something Draco wasn't particularly fond of – or perhaps I considered myself a bit more _mature _than he was, that statement alone shed a new light into our relationship. I always considered him a brother and close friend despite our differences in _some _matters and I knew – or thought I knew – he felt the same way but hearing that stung me. Naturally, I hid my reaction from him which was something that was becoming the norm nowadays. This had shown me it would not matter whether we were related or not, he would not had wanted to be associated with someone of low stature considering Squibs were seen as wizard-born Muggles. That, naturally, troubled my eleven year old mind despite my Aunt assuring me I wouldn't be one. Thankfully, I wouldn't had to wait long nor worry about Draco disowning me. Because the very next day, we both received our letters and that same afternoon we both were taken to shop for our school supplies.

What should had ended that exciting day on a good note, had ended with an unfamiliar feeling I never had experienced before: Angst. I never had a reason to experience it – I was a happy child and other than keeping my feelings to myself concerning certain topics, there was nothing that caused me to feel the dread and/or anxiety angst was known for – but it happened.

After we had returned from our shopping and I was about to take my newly acquired belongings to my room, my Aunt had ordered Dobby, the house-elf to take them along with Draco's'. At first, I insisted I could take them myself as I was going to do some light reading before dinner, but my Aunt insisted I should drop them with Dobby and join her in the back garden for some afternoon tea. While drinking a late afternoon tea was not uncommon, the fact that my Aunt wanted me to join her out in the garden _and _have tea before dinner was something else. With a shrug from Draco who left for the second floor, I followed my Aunt's steps and joined her in the back.

Being that it was mid-August, the weather was decent so having a late tea out in the back garden wasn't such a bad idea. That still did not explained why my Aunt wanted us to have one in which my presence was clearly demanded from me.

"As school is about to start next week, I think it's time you should know more about your parents" my Aunt started as she served me a cup of tea, "god knows you're going to hear about them while at Hogwarts and best you hear the real truth from those who care about you than those who only wish to smear your family—_our_ family name," she last emphasized this with her touching my hand, clearly referring to her sister, my mother. "In a perfect world, we would have only socialized with those of our kind – those who shared the same ideals and hope for the future, but we don't live in such a world. We are forced to mingle with the lesser kind and so far, up until this point we, your Uncle and I, had guided you and Draco to the right kinds of people. With you two about to set off for Hogwarts soon, I'm afraid you'll hear things that aren't necessarily true..."

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When I was five years old, I was told my parents were away for a very long time and even though I wouldn't be able to see them, they loved me so much and knew I'd turned into the best Witch ever. Since then, year after year, I knew a bit more about them. So it didn't take me long to figure out they were in Azkaban and it was their beliefs that had landed them there. Beliefs that they – Malfoys and everyone else that I knew – shared, but clearly not to the extent to be incarcerated for. I never pondered on this strange fact because knowing they were still alive was enough for me. So once my Aunt told me the truth, the cold-hard truth, the views I once held about them shattered.

"_I'm so sorry you had to hear this, my love but I need you to prepare yourself. __Remember this – you're my sweet, loving, sensitive and intelligent little dove who I love with all my heart." _

I knew without a doubt my Aunt had only good intentions when she told me the truth about my parents, but her telling me this had made me so unbelievable sad and angry – to know my parents had purposely hurt so many people... It goes without saying I didn't joined the Malfoy family for dinner and other than Draco, my Uncle and Aunt knew the real reason for my absence.

Up until now...

"Bloody hell, I didn't know." Draco uttered as he ran a hand over his slicked back hair, clearly ignoring our game of Wizard Chess.

I let out a snort, "so not only are my parents mass murdering Death Eaters but very likely a son from one of their victims will be attending Hogwarts too." I heard my voice quivered, which I quickly tried to hide with a sarcastic laugh. "So everyone will know who I am because clearly I'm no Malfoy, my officials papers don't _state _me a Malfoy but a _Lestrange_. There'll be no bloody way I'll be able to hide because there's no other family with that same name, is there Draco, huh? Is there?"

"So what?" he interrupted, "might as well start taking advantage of it. No need for introducing yourself, is there? You'll be like me, a Malfoy. People will know you before you even see the–"

"No!" I exclaimed as I shot up from my seat across from him, "that's not the point, Draco! Don't you get it? I don't want to be like them, I don't want to be simply seen as the girl whose parents are locked up because they murdered a bunch of people." I was still hurting with the recent revelations, but having Draco be so daft and egotistical was beyond absurd. "It's bad enough that I'm already associated with them, I don't want _that _to describe me. I'm not going to stand having people whisper behind my back for the seven years that I'll be at Hogwarts!"

"Okay, okay... calm down," Draco started, as he rose from his seat before he walked up to me. "Do what you want, it's your life. Whatever you do, I'll support you."

I gave him an awkward smiled before I pulled him into a hug, "thank you."

I knew he was sincere, but I wondered if he would really support me with what I planned to do from this moment on.

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**Note:**

To get a better grip of the characters here – I based their personalities with their Zodiac sign. Draco's a Gemini and Xadia a Cancer, and according to friendship compatibility between their signs, this is what it says: (partial quote)

_"The best aspect of a friendship between a Gemini and a Cancer is that, when they understand and accept each other, they could go to great lengths. With Gemini always moving forward, and Cancer always providing good assistance and solid support, they could have a rewarding partnership."_

So, while some parts either here or in the future seem to be a bit OOC with a character, I'd like to point this out as a reference to their Zodiac sign.

On a different topic, I'd like to invite you to check out my other Harry Potter story "**Life Chances**" – A realistic look at one girl's rude awakening into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an OC self-insert. Yes, it's about a girl from our world appearing in our much loved fandom... with a twist!

Last but not the least – I came across this interesting and fun idea where – as a writer – I'll ask you a question, be it amusing or semi-serious, as a way to both get to know the reader and interact with them. Of course it's all voluntarily – you don't need to play if you don't want to.

Here goes!

**Question:**

_**If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? **_

That's all for now, until next time!


	3. II Identity

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**II.  
Identity**

_"Most people are other people.  
Their thoughts are someone else's opinions,  
their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."_

_― Oscar Wilde_

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Slytherin, that's what it was all about after Draco and I had received our Hogwarts letters.

My Uncle and Aunt had been sorted there and so had my parents, practically everyone – extended and otherwise – we were associated with had been sorted into the serpent household while at Hogwarts, so said Draco. Naturally, I refused to believe _everyone _in our family – extended and otherwise – had been sorted into that House. So days before we left for Platform 9¾, I played detective and casually asked my Aunt about anyone in the family – extended and otherwise – who had been sorted to a House other than Slytherin. As expected, she casually threw out a name or two, one a Hufflepuff and the other a Gryffindor and that was that. So once I brought this information to Draco who looked a bit irked that I proved him wrong about his unreasonable statistics, he ended with "_it's a family tradition and something we should continue._" A weak response, in my opinion but that was that. So it was a bit of a disappointment that the main subject that was talked about as we waited to board the Hogwarts Express was being sorted into Slytherin. My Uncle and Aunt expected that from Draco as it was "tradition" while my Aunt commented to me something along the lines of "surely, you'll make your parents proud," which my Uncle repeated via different words.

Once the red steam engined blew its whistle for the first time, the first warning that we must board, I bid my farewells from my Uncle and Aunt amidst the chatters from our friends who surrounded us. Aunt insisted I should write her a letter that first night and tell her about my experiences while she promised us both to send sweets every week. I could tell Draco was embarrassed by the attention my Aunt showered on him and insisted he should board to get a good cabin before he disappeared into the crowd. I, on the other hand, gave her a big hug – while I looked forward to the new experiences while at Hogwarts, I would certainly miss her mothering. After one last round of farewells, I slipped into the crowd.

At an early age, I recognized how people treated and reacted to the presence of my Uncle Lucious Malfoy. I knew without really knowing, that he was an important man. It would be a couple years later that I learned as to the _reason_. He was important because of his status, family prestige and his money. Naturally, this was transferred to Draco who milked it for all its worth – being a child of his and all. Granted, this was the kind my Aunt spoke of being the "right kind" of people we should socialize with. So, naturally – I was surrounded by the offspring of these people who I shared a compartment with. Out of the four people that we, Draco and I, shared a cabin with I mostly got along was with Daphne Greengrass – unlike Pansy Parkinson who I considered the female equivalent of Draco. That is not to say that I couldn't stomach being around her, at most our "friendship" was casual at best.

With the knowledge the trip to Hogwarts would take hours, I brought along a book with the belief I'd be able to read it along the way. Big surprise, it was close to impossible. Between loud obnoxious conversations between the five of them and Pansy asking trivial things about Hogwarts – I started reading Hogwarts: A History –, I decided to take my reading elsewhere.

When I first saw how crowded Platform 9¾ was, I believed it was due to the amount of families bidding their children farewell, and clearly that was not the case. I was a bit miffed seeing that every compartment was practically full and while I could _had _settled for one whose occupants were quiet, each one I came across was as lively as the next. Whether it was due to them being all friends or that it happened to be after the lunch hour that had set their lively moods, I wouldn't know. As I was about to check on the next compartment, a girl quickly stepped out from it and had it not been that I stepped back, she would had bumped into me.

"Oh, sorry! I was about to bumped into you, was I?" she asked, as she slid the compartment behind her.

I quickly looked her over: bushy haired, brown eyes and large front teeth that was remarkably similar to those of a rabbit – no, she wasn't familiar. "You might want to face the way you're walking next time," I replied as I held the book up to my chest.

The girl let out a light chuckle, "Of course; I'm Hermione Granger, you are?"

Just as I was about to introduced myself, her eyes went wide and pointed towards the book I held. "You're reading _Hogwarts, a History_? Oh, it's one of my favorite books. I quickly gone through it after purchasing it – so excited to learn everything there's to learn about Hogwarts and the magical world," she finished with a wide grin.

"Magical world?" I asked, mostly as a rhetorical question. I had come across half-bloods before, but never a muggle-born. I looked over her again, remembering the stories Draco would tell me about them and she looked nothing out of the norm. "I never met a muggle-born before," I commented as I pushed back a strand of my dark hair behind my ear. Remembering my manners, I introduced myself, "Xadia Lestrange."

"Well, Xadia – there's always a first, isn't there?" she smiled, before she dropped her friendly demeanor and turned serious. "By any chance, had you seen a toad somewhere?"

"Toad?" I asked a bit confused by her change of demeanor.

"Neville Longbottom has lost his, so I'm helping him on the search."

Neville Longbottom? As in the son of those my parent's ha-"Huh?"

"Are you okay? You kinda blanked there for a minute..." Hermione peered at me, before she shook her head. "It's this train ride, isn't it? It's a good thing we're allowed to walk around or I'll go stir crazy – well, not really but you get the idea. Well, if you happen to catch the toad, just take it down three compartments from here – that's where we're at and you're welcome to join us if you need a quiet place to read."

"Quiet place? Yes—I mean, no. Thanks, I just needed to take a stroll, I think I should return now before they send out a search team," I said with what I hoped was a genuine looking smile and not the awkward one I felt. "Nice meeting you, Gra – I mean, Hermione." I last said, correcting myself from a habit I wanted to eliminate.

"Right," I last heard from her as I returned down to the corridor I had ventured from.

**•●๋•**

Other than Pansy commenting on my lack of "greenery" of my new school robes, in which I replied we hadn't been properly sorted yet, _in which,_ resulted a somewhat amusing look coming from Draco, our arrival to Hogsmeade had been as expected: exciting. With Hagrid – a giant of a man – rounding us First years, as we were called, he gave a booming welcome and guidelines to follow as we were to be led to Hogwarts. Not wanting to participate in Draco's comments concerning Hagrid's ancestry, I trailed behind his little wouldn't be until we reached the lake that Hagrid made us board a small boat, a boat that safely fitted three students. It goes without saying that the two of us, Draco and I, shared the same boat along with Gregory Goyle.

"How is it that giant of ahalf-breed hasn't sunk his ship?" Draco commented, referring to Hagrid leading the way with his small boat.

"Magic, Draco." I replied as I dipped my fingers lazily into the dark, cold lake that our boats glided on. "Might want to keep your senses sharp," I uttered, lazily throwing a glance at Gregory beside me.

Draco looked over his shoulder, "Of course, as I should say the same about you." Moving around, he resettled across from me but not before he nudged my leg with his foot. "Such as back in the train, meeting with that mudblood and ban-"

I nudged his foot in return as I signaled with my head at Gregory. "You already know."

"Goyle isn't listening," he pointedly said, which caused the chubby boy beside me to turn his bodyaway from our conversation. I rolled my eyes and turned to dip my fingers back into the cold lake.

"He's here, the Longbottom boy. His name is Neville. No, I haven't met him..." I added, knowing he was going to ask that. "So for now, I rather blend into the background."

"That's ridiculous – you know that, right? Face it, it's going to happen and you might as well start getting used to the idea. You practically had the whole summer to dwell on it, it's time to man up."

"So easy for you to say," I muttered under my breath as I gazed down at the dark matter my fingers grazed. "Only thing you had to worry – which I know you hardly do – are those rumors about your father truly being a Death Eater."

"Go ahead and beat yourself up for a matter you had no say in; if anything, I'd put that brain of yours to good use, you know. Have _that _be the center of their attention – wouldn't hurt being related to a smart cousin, I mean – that's why you're reading all those bloody books, right?"

Typical of Draco – I couldn't help but let out a small grin, which soon slacked once my eyes set upon the glorious outline of Hogwarts. "Well, look at that," I voiced as I signaled behind him.

On special occasions we'd visited Hogsmeade and during those trips, our eyes would gaze upon the sight of the looming castle that towered over the village. Hearing stories about my Aunt and Uncle's time at Hogwarts was always exciting, and build us up for the moment we received our Hogwarts letters. During those times we thought the magical school couldn't look any better during those days, but now it paled in comparison to what we saw under the full moon. The glowing warm lights that emitted from the countless of windows, the castle's conical roofs that reached up for the skies - even the very lake we glided on reflected an otherworldly enchanting world.

So awe-inspiring, so magical.

I knew right then that everything would be all right, partially thanks to Draco as well.

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**Note:**

I found this to be the perfect ending, so I really had to end it here ~

At the beginning when I first came to outlining this story, I thought of making each chapter a year of hers in Hogwarts but decided against it. There'll be too much going on within a chapter, so I decided to dedicate two chapters for each year of her being there. These, naturally, will be dedicated to those events in her life that had played a role in forming who she is _now_ – the girl you read in the prologue. Also, I'll let you know this was meant to be a mini-fic, a prequel to my main story - which, technically, will be the sequel to this story :)

Now I'll end it with this chapters' question:

**Right now, at this moment, what do you want the most?**

Until next time!


	4. III: Reputation

**In the last chapter...  
**Xadia is about to depart for her first year at Hogwarts. How her family indirectly expects her to be sorted into Slytherin. While on the Hogwarts Express, she meets Hermione Granger. On the boat ride to Hogwarts, she becomes anxious about the possible treatment she could receive due to her family's reputation. But that is soon abated when Draco, calms her nerves.

**●๋•●๋•●๋•●๋•●๋•●๋•**

**III.  
Reputation**

"_Your reputation is in the hands of others.  
That's what the reputation is. You can't control that.  
The only thing you can control is your character."_

― _Wayne W. Dyer_

**●๋•●๋•●๋•●๋•●๋•●๋•**

Excitement was in the air when we were all led down the main hall of Hogwarts towards the Great Hall, and rightfully so considering stepping inside this historical school was so much of an adventure – just waiting for us First Years to explore, wondering what lay at the other end of the torch-lit halls we walked by. Walking alongside Daphne, we exchanged quips about the castle – most of the information coming from me seeing as I had managed to start reading _Hogwarts: A History. _Whether Daphne was impressed or was humoring me, I wouldn't know but I felt smart and proud of myself to share these tidbits about the school we were going to start calling our own.

With Draco's _eloquent _words and the knowledge that I could truly do something about myself, I was quite optimistic of my future here in Hogwarts. So far, I haven't met curious eyes or glaring looks I had expected to come across – I had, once or twice seen something like it back home when I went out in public but not here. That was a relief as it proved I was just another new student who was about to start their school year in Hogwarts. I had a chance to start fresh, a fresh new slate, if you will.

What better way to begin my new road than by seeing an old stern, no-nonsense looking, green robed witch waiting at the top of the stairs; her demeanor poised as she stood before large wooden double doors that barely contained the muffled sounds of excitable students from the other for the rest of us First Years to appear, she gave us a sweeping glance before the last student joined us. After the green robed witch introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and spoke of the Houses we would be sorted into and the rules that went along with it, a chubby boy suddenly made a spectacle of himself. Standing behind Draco and having a front row seat, I noticed the look McGonagall had given to the boy and it was then that my heart seemed to had skipped a beat at the realization.

_"Toad? I asked, a bit confused by her change of demeanor._

_"Neville Longbottom has lost his, so I'm helping him on the search."_

Was _that _Neville Longbottom, the chubby boy who cradled a toad named Trevor? I was both unnerved and yet strangely relieved seeing the boy; clearly there really was nothing to be afraid of – other than the knowledge of what happened to his parents. That is not to say I was comforted by his presence. It just meant that his presence wasn't really that... intimidating. He didn't look particular smart, clumsy actually – especially since he lost that toad of his back in the train.

As I was about to mention this to Draco, I saw him speaking to a dark haired boy with glasses.

"–with the wrong sort. I can help you there, Potter"

Pondering on the likes of Longbottom, I did not catch whatever was going on, but the mere mention of the Potter surname rang a bell.

"No way,

_Harry Potter_?" I muttered to myself, as I turned to glance Daphne who was keenly watching the conversation between the two of them. "That's him?" Not taking her eyes off of them, she nodded.

We had our fair share of celebrities, but this Harry Potter was different. Never seeing him in real life other than by name, it was quite amazing seeing that the skinny, short boy that stood before Draco was the one to had survived and defeated You-Know-Who. We really didn't know _how _he defeated You-know-who, so naturally, stories were passed around to explain this reasoning, though they were highly more entertaining than actual facts. Because, really – how could a mere baby defeat the one powerful dark wizard?

"– the wrong sort for myself, thanks." Harry responded, which in turn resulted Draco making an all-too familiar face. Oh, he was offended all right and just as he was about to say something, McGonagall appeared.

"All right everyone, please follow me."

As everyone was filing to follow after her, I quickly made my way beside Draco. More so as to tell him about Neville than to comfort his hurt ego. "That boy with the toad, that's Neville." I whispered to him as we entered into Great Hall.

As eager as I was to tell him about Neville, I was momentarily taken aback by the amazing sight before me. Dozens of candles hovered over the four long tables, already occupied by the other students as empty silverware laid before them. At the very front of the hall stood a long table occupied with what I could only assumed to be the professors, but most importantly an empty stool stood before them with an old tatter looking hat sitting atop of it. With yet so much to see, what caught my attention the most was the ceiling. Glittering stars shone ever so bright above until I heard a familiar voice mentioning how she read about it in _Hogwarts: A History_. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed the voice belonged to the girl I met in the train, Hermione something.

"What?" Draco snapped which brought my attention back to him and just as I refocused on him, he had done the same. Seeming to realize who I was, his pissed-off demeanor soften a little. "What was that again?"

"Nothing," I uttered when McGonagall stopped in front of the stool before she turned to face us.

"You will be sorted into your Houses in alphabetical order and once you do, you'll go right ahead and take a seat at your table." With that, she unrolled a parchment and called out the first name on the list. "Abbot, Hannah."

One by one, I watched as each student was sorted into one of the four Houses, which soon followed by a loud excitable applause that came from their new table. I was familiar with some of the names that were called, mostly due to the fact they belonged to the same social circle Draco and I were in. It was as we were down to the J's that I could already feel the excitement building up inside me, but along with it came the apprehension. Would there be the same eagerness in the applause when I get sorted into a House? Would I really be welcomed into one or will an incredible awkward – not to mention embarrassing – silence hang above the air as I make my way to my table? What I was definitely sure of was the fact the old hat sorted you based on your inner qualities, qualities that you gained from your family. Whether you had a say in the decision process, I didn't know and likely it wasn't possible – was it? I mean, the hat was _old _and _wise _considering its history within Hogwarts – it knew what it knew and that was that. This is what I was afraid of – it would automatically sort me into Slytherin based on my family history, including the ones I was raised in – the Malfoys. I really had no say in the matter and the more I thought about it, the more unnerved I became.

"Lestrange, Xadia"

Whether it had been my imagination or it truly went deathly quiet, I wouldn't know as I nervously clenched my clammy fists; I had expected – no, _seen myself _– casually and confidently walking up and taking a seat, but that wasn't my reality as I remained rooted in the same spot I had been occupying. Feeling the heat rise up to my cheek and receiving an expectant look from McGonagall herself, I took a deep breath and with a straight back, walked up to the stool. With her holding the Sorting Hat, I turned on my heels and faced the Great Hall to take my seat.

It hadn't been my imagination that conjured up the harsh silence when my name had been called out. Because, as I stared out into the crowd, I could feel every eyes – both from the living and the dead – stare right at me, their expressions ranging from curiosity to bewilderment, fearful to incredulous. There goes my theory, I exhaled as I felt the old hat lay on top of my head, gratefully shielding my eyes from their unwelcoming looks.

"I see, a Lestrange," it whispered.

"So by name," I mentally responded, unsure but not caring whether it could actually hear what I thought.

"More than a name, I'll say. Well, this shouldn't be too hard then, seeing as you alre–"

"Not _Slytherin," _I interrupted knowing full well where it was going; clearly, I could speak to it and I was going to take full advantage of this fact.

"Is that so? You'd do well in the old House from whence you –"

"_Anything __but__ Slytherin_," I interrupted it for the third time.

"I see your ancestors doings is playing a role, trying to distance yourself from their old glories and greatness, aren't we? Yet, you want to prove there's more to you than your family name. I sense courage in doing so is there. Most curious. Very well then. I sense you'll do well in Ravenclaw with that mind and ambition. In Gryffindor, too, you may find yourself a home but in Slytherin... hmm... your certainty say's it best, doesn't it? Well then, Xadia Lestrange, I'll tell you this – whatever road you take, you'll be paving on your own, but I'm sure with that mind and heart, you'll do great things along the way."

Silence, soon followed by a roaring voice. "Ravenclaw!"

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as my confidence wavered for a brief moment, I expected to hear the familiar claps and cheers like the ones done with each new student who was sorted. But, once McGonagall had pulled off the hat that obstructed my view, I could see that wouldn't be happening. Stares of every description were turned on me. Clearly the infamy of my family name had preceded me – start a clean slate? So unlikely. No longer caring to see Draco's reaction to my so-not-unexpected sorting, I straightened myself to my full height and made way to the table that was on my far left.

As I was sliding into an empty space beside a recently sorted boy, I heard the most unexpected thing. A lonely clap coming from the Professors table; other than briefly glancing at those at the table, I never paid full attention on those who occupied it. So once I realized the sole clapper was none other than Dumbledore himself, the old, wizened man with half-moon glasses gave me a most welcoming smile. Surprised as I was, I was even more astounded when the rest of the hall joined in. While it was small and faded quickly before moving on to the next student, I was slightly relieved from the awkward situation I had been put on – but mostly thankful, though. Despite the stories I heard from my Uncle concerning Dumbledore, I was thankful for what he had done. Clearly, the whole awkward spectacle could had continued and I would had been the girl everyone would talk about in later years, '_No one wanted her in their House, __not even the sound of a mosquito could had been heard!' _And that had been avoided thanks to Dumbledore.

It was then that I noticed it was Draco's turn to be sorted; the hat couldn't had lasted more than three seconds when it instantly shouted Slytherin. As the Slytherin table erupted into an applause, I caught him throwing a glance my way; I had expected to receive one of his annoyed, disappointed looks or at most a blank stare, but all I got was a smug smirk as he turned to join his new House mates.

Considering our closeness, I knew I hadn't disappointed him.

That was a relief.

•●๋

After the welcoming feast, which consisted of a variety of mouth-watering food, the occasional furtive glances from those around me and small talk from another recently sorted girl who must had dared herself to speak to me, everything went pretty well. The feast was closed with a few more words from Dumbledore, before we were allowed to leave for our common room but not before the First years were led out first by their Prefects. It was here when an older boy and girl from our table stood up and announced for us First years to follow them.

The distance from where the Great Hall stood and the tower where our common room was located was more than just "decently distanced", as the girl had put it. Our common room was located in one of the castle's towers, so we had to climbed a tight spiral staircase to get there. As the ten of us First years gathered around a wooden door with a bronze eagle-shaped knocker at the top of the staircase, we were told we needed to answer a riddle before were were allowed to enter. Once inside, the room was wide and circular with graceful arched windows and on the walls hung blue and bronze silks. The domed ceiling was painted with stars as was the midnight-blue carpet. Tables, chairs and bookcases covered the expanse of the floor as a white-marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sat next to the door that led to the dormitories above.

It was here when Penelope, one of our Prefects, took us to our rightful dormitory, and seeing that there were only five new girls there wasn't much of a crowd. We came to learn there was a dormitory for each year, a total of seven dormitories including a dorm bathroom; seeing as we were First years, our dorms were located at the bottom of the staircase that led to the other dorm floors. Opening the door for us, Penelope led us inside. Standing in the middle of the room was a round-belly stove that was to be kept burning during the night, surrounding it were five silver and blue curtained beds with our luggage already standing at the foot of said beds.

"As you know," Penelope started as she faced us, "classes begin tomorrow. Breakfast starts at 7:30 and classes start at 9:00; as it is the first day, we'll be handing our your class schedule, so don't be late for either." She then did a sweep of the room before ending it on us, "Well then, why don't we go ahead and introduced ourselves along with sharing a little fact so we can start getting to know one another. I'll start first, I'm Penelope Clearwater and one of my favorite things in the world is astronomy. So naturally, I'm lucky that we're located in one of the highest points in Hogwarts!"

"Oh, you should visit the Tolcarn Observatory in Cornwall if you get the chance; there's a group there you can join as well, delightful stuff," Talkative girl pipped beside me.

"I've heard of it but afraid it's too far from where I live. Good thing we do have an astronomy club here, in case anyone wonders," Penelope responded.

"Yes – I suppose it's my turn. I'm Mandy Brocklehurst and not so long ago, I found out I was a witch. So I'm looking forward to the excitement of living in a wizarding society," Mandy said, as she smiled at everyone.

"You certainly will have fun experiencing both worlds," Penelope commented as she turned to me, which I took as my cue to start my introduction.

"Name's Xadia Lestrange," I started as I felt all eyes on me, majority of them cautiously curious minus Mandy's. "I love reading, though some would say too much but... yeah."

"Good thing you do, because you'll be doing a lot of that while here," Penelope commented with a slight smile and a nod before she moved on to the next person.

I found it rather ironic how, as the next girl was speaking, Mandy the muggle-born was the only girl out of the group who was willing to talk to me. The only one out of the other three who was not hesitant to speak with me as we unpacked some of our belongings. The only one who was trying to befriend me as the others kept their distance.

Made sense really when you considered she had never heard about my parents.

* * *

**Note**:  
Due to work, I'm no longer able to update as quick as I would had liked. In fact, I try to write a little whenever I can. Which explains why this chapter has been the longest so far. Also, next chapter will definitely be the last of her first year in Hogwarts.

**Now for your question:**  
_In order of importance, how would you rank:_  
_happiness, money, love, health and fame?_

Until next time!_  
_


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